My story begins with a 12-year-old boy named James (name changed for privacy), who came into my office approximately one month ago for moderate Crohn's disease. He was suffering daily with extreme stomach cramping, watery diarrhea and a lack of appetite. James had been on countless different medications to try and minimize the symptoms he was experiencing, however, they often left him with a whole new slew of side effects to deal with. So James's mother brought him into my office in hopes that I could at the least, reduce the severity of the symptoms and hopefully at some point be able to reduce the medication.
James was small for his age, and had a real difficulty with fidgeting in his seat when I was trying to talk to him. It was exhausting just watching him flail around in his seat like a fish out of water! His mother appeared unphased by this behavior, but in my head I strongly attributed this to the permeability of his gut leaching things like unwanted sugars and gluten into his brain, causing the hyperactive behavior. I also noticed that when his mother asked him a question he would quickly and angrily snap back at her. James had a very short fuse, and did not like to be questioned. This was later confirmed by his mother who pulled me to the side to ask if there were any points I could do for his mood. I will come back to this point later.
So after taking James's pulse, looking at his tongue, and running through my gamut of questions, I concluded that his body was holding onto A LOT of heat and dampness, and at the same time, there was a massive weakness in the spleen and stomach organs. His body was not being properly nourished because it could not absorb the necessary nutrients and because there was such a weakness present here, the liver (responsible for the emotion of anger) was taking over causing the massive mood issues he was experiencing. His mother did not want him on any herbs, so I proceeded to do two times weekly acupuncture treatments over the course of a month.
Today, I can honestly sit here and say that James is doing better than I EVER could have imagined. And in such a short period of time! He no longer fidgets when he comes into the office. He lays right down and remains perfectly still for the session. He even falls asleep now! Something that never would have happened if I didn't start treating the hyperactive liver energy that was causing the shift in his personality. His mother says that his stomach rarely bothers him if ever, and he eats three meals a day now with a solid appetite intact. She cannot believe the difference in his response to her when she asks him a question. He is no longer the reactive boy she had come to tip toe around, but a much calmer and a healthier boy who has a made a world of progress in such a short period of time. A reduction in medication looks like a real possibility for James, and I couldn't be more excited for what the future holds for him.